In typical flat multiconductor cable interconnect schemes, termination of the cable is often required at a pitch different from that of the cable. Thus, the cable may have a pitch of 0.050 inch (fifty mils between adjacent conductors) while the pitch of pins of a terminating connector may be 0.0545 inch (fifty-four and one half mils).
One approach for such termination involves the connection of each cable conductor to a corresponding pin in a separate practice, a technique referred to as discrete wire termination. Here, each individual conductor of the flat cable is pulled apart from mutually adjacent conductors, insulation is stripped therefrom and the bared conductor is soldered, wire wrapped or otherwise individually connected to the corresponding one of the pins of the termination device.
Another known approach to pitch change termination involves the use of a transition interconnect member, adjunctive to the cable and termination device and being a permanent link in the connection, e.g., a flexible printed circuit (PC) whose conductive traces extend from a first pitch arrangement through a fanned out transition to a second pitch arrangement.
In a third approach, the art has seen the necessary pitch change transition occur in the cable as manufactured. Thus, special multipitch cable has been provided, whereby the terminating device may be joined to the cable at the pitch portions thereof corresponding to the pitch of the terminating device. This general type of approach, i.e., the change of cable pitch, is further embodied in Huber U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,466 wherein cable conductors are rolled into channels of a housing defining pitch change with cover members then applied to opposed sides of the housing to apply strain relief to the loosely channelled conductors.
A fourth approach in the prior art is that of providing a connector having contacts of spread pitch type. This is seen, for example, in Narozny U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,767 wherein a family of identical contacts is selectively bent in assembly of the connector to yield the desired pitch transition. It is seen also in Key U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,254, wherein a family of contacts is stamped prior to assembly with an offset providing the desired pitch transition. In a labor intensive practice, Nickerson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,299 introduces an adaptor having channels therethrough defining the required pitch change from contact pin to cable. The tail of each pin is selectively bent to conform to the channel configuration whereby it registers with a cable conductor on exiting the channel.
Other than in the case of the discrete wiring approach, the other discussed approaches can provide the convenience of mass termination, i.e., wherein all conductors can be terminated simultaneously. Thus, any practice which collectively places in registry the conductors of first pitch and contacts of second pitch provides the necessary preparation for mass termination. The flexible printed circuit transition, the multipitch cable or Huber end spread cable, the Norozny bendable contacts and the Key stamped offset contacts thus may be called mass termination capable devices. In each of these devices, however, specialized cable adjunct means are needed, e.g., bendable or offset contacts or flexible PC, the cable need be specially fabricated or the cable need be strain relieved by means separate from the pitch changing housing. The labor non-intensive convenience of mass-termination is thus made available generally at substantial cost beyond that of standard contacts and a customary single pitch cable.